One and the Same
by queencestqueen
Summary: "Why should I trust anything you say? Why should I trust this video?" Malcolm's lips twitched slightly. "Let's go see Thea then. You can meet the Enchantress in person."
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** One and the Same  
 **Author:** QueencestQueen  
 **Pairings:** Oliver/Thea (aka Queencest and/or Tholiver)  
 **Rating:** M  
 **Spoilers:** for the episode, "The Climb"  
 **Summary:** _"Why should I trust anything you say? Why should I trust this video?"_

 _Malcolm's lips twitched slightly. "Let's go see Thea then. You can meet the Enchantress in person."_

 **Notes/Warnings:  
**

\- Italicized words are words that are meant to be stressed.  
\- Italicized statements are thoughts.

 **Disclaimer:**  
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

"It's the strangest thing..." Oliver barely resisted the urge to groan as Malcolm interrupted his time alone to think, "Thea just called and said she was attacked by the Arrow. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now, would you Oliver?"

"This was you. You know, I figured when I spared the man who murdered my mother, I would never kill again." Oliver reached out and grabbed Malcolm by his left shoulder. He spun him around and pinned the elder man to the bar with a hand on his throat. "I was wrong."

"You might want to reconsider."

"Why?" Oliver asked, the singular word escaping through clenched teeth. In his estimation, there was no reason for him to rethink dealing with Malcolm. The man had done nothing, but destroy everything in Oliver's life since he was rescued from Lian Yu. He'd taken Thea away; God knows what he'd done to her. He didn't deserve any more opportunities to screw up her life. Then Malcolm said the only thing that could get through to Oliver,

"For Thea." That forced him to pause. In the brief second that followed, both men could hear the sound of Oliver's cellphone vibrating in his back pocket. "Check your phone. I can wait."

Oliver frowned, hating the presumption in the man's statement, before he took out his cellphone. For a few seconds, Oliver looked at the video on his screen, but he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. He stared down at the phone in his hand, wishing that the image on its screen would change, but it did not. He could tell without question that the woman in the video was Thea. No amount of swirling black hair, or magic alteration could hide that fact. Not from him. Not from anyone who looked closely enough. While the protective big brother was in shock, Malcolm escaped and stepped out of Oliver's reach.

"What did you _do_?" Oliver demanded, his voice taking on a dark tone, as he advanced upon Malcolm. His mind was buzzing on adrenalin and anger. Thea's DNA on the arrows that killed Sara made perfect sense now. It wasn't because Malcolm sought to inadvertently frame Oliver for her murder; it was because he'd forced her to do it. Malcolm had made Thea a murderer.

The CEO didn't back away, he didn't even cower a little in the face of Oliver's obvious anger. Instead, he made a small tutting noise and held up his own cellphone screen facing out. "If any harm comes to me, this video will be delivered directly to the League," A horrifyingly devious grin turned his lips upwards, "and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

The implied threat stopped Oliver cold. He knew, with unflinching certainty, what would happen if that video got to the League. Ra's, or more likely the men under his command, would come for Thea. Their recompense for Sara's demise would be Thea's life. They were strong believers in the whole eye-for-an-eye thing. As if he were suddenly doused in a bucket of ice water, Oliver realized that he was cornered. He would do absolutely anything for his sister and, judging by the gleeful look in his eyes, Malcolm knew it. He had found the chink in Oliver's armor and he planned to exploit it.

"What do you want?" The words were hissed out behind clenched teeth. The plastic of his cellphone groaned in protest as his hands curled into fists at his sides. He wanted so bad to wipe that smug look off the older man's face, beat him until he couldn't be recognized anymore; at least then Oliver would be assured that Malcolm wouldn't bring any further turmoil to Thea's life.

"It is not about what I want, Oliver," Malcolm said, daring to bridge the distance between them. His hand weighed heavily on Oliver's shoulder, alongside the oldest Queen sibling's hatred for the man whose only good contributions to the world were his children. The gesture was mocking, a taunt to Oliver's restraint, but there was too much at stake for Oliver to give in to his own feelings.

"It's about what _you_ want." Before Oliver could even formulate a way to tell the man to stop beating around the bush, Malcolm continued, "to protect Thea."

"You were the one that put her in danger!"

"No," Malcolm objected, his voice cold and matter-of-fact, "I gave her what she

wanted: to be strong." His hand dropped from Oliver's shoulder and interlaced his fingers together at his waist. "She was never going to be strong on her own."

"What _did_ you do?" The eldest Queen asked again, turning his eyes once more to the screen of his cellphone. Thea's face was shrouded in a magical black mist, inexplicable embers floating around her, and her hair was long once more, black as a raven's feathers. There were so many differences and yet Oliver could still see his sister's features under all of the mystical modifications.

Before Oliver's very eyes, Malcolm's whole being shifted; he became the cold, calculating CEO. It made Oliver even more angry to see it. "As you know, my company employs many people all over the globe." Oliver barely resisted the urge to demand Malcolm get to the point. "One of my employees, Doctor Moone, is part of my archeology division and she was exploring Central America when she happened upon a statue in a hidden cave. As were my instructions, she brought it straight to me. I assigned my researchers to decode the ruins carved into the wood. Once they told me what it was that I had in the ancient artifact I knew I had to use it."

"You mean you knew you had to use _her_." Oliver interrupted, unable to believe that someone could find such a powerful thing and think, 'how can I use this for my own benefit?' The elder man ignored his enemy's condemnation.

"I was informed that the carving contained the malevolent spirit of a witch called the Enchantress. She had been trapped inside her totem, according to legend, for nearly 7,000 years. My people told me that I could control her power if I had her heart. So back in the cave my team went and they worked day and night until they found it." He shrugged as if seeking to control and harness an ancient entity was an everyday activity. "After that, I just needed a host for the Enchantress…"

His explanation trailed off, but he didn't need to complete the sentence; Oliver knew already where the story was going. He held proof of the tale's end in his hand. "So you decided to use your own daughter as a meat suit for a demon."

Malcolm glared at him. Oliver didn't know whether or not he was reacting to the judgement in Oliver's statement or whether his reason stemmed from his general displeasure at having to deal with him. Either way, the man didn't dignify the conclusion that had been drawn. Instead, he said,

"I have the Enchantress' heart so I can keep her from doing anything…" Malcolm paused, clearly searching his brain for the right word. Coming up with nothing, he simply plowed forward in his explanation, "Someone needs to watch Thea, though."

Oliver's anger was at a fever-pitch now. He'd had her possessed and now he was using what he'd done to blackmail Oliver! "Watch Thea?" He echoed as his rage boiled over, "Watch Thea! She isn't a dog, Malcolm. She's a human person. A person you manipulated into leaving with you. Your daughter who you had possessed and turned into a murderer."

Malcom's gaze was cold and unwavering, "Either you do it or I'll have to hire someone to watch her." Oliver could just imagine what that would entailed given Malcolm's twisted way of doing things. He'd probably put someone in Thea's life under false pretenses. He couldn't let her feel that pain again; he'd already seen what happened when she felt betrayed. Her cutting him out of her life so brutally when she found out about her parentage had cut him to the core.

Sensing that he might be wavering on the matter, Malcolm tried a different tactic. "You already protect her, care about her, watch out for her…It's not like you'll be doing anything you don't already do. I'm just telling you to be more vigilant and to keep her calm and happy. If the Enchantress comes out, call me; that's it."

Even though every instinct in his body screamed at him to tell Malcolm to go to hell, Oliver stayed as calm as possible, "I'm not going to help you keep Thea brainwashed."

A humorless chuckle followed the assertion, "That's not why she needs to be observed. It's because she needs protection. The Enchantress inside of her is a powerful being, more powerful than you can even begin to comprehend. If she gets the chance, she _will_ overtake Thea and we might never get her back, and that's not the only threat Thea faces. There are many out there who wish to control the Enchantress and her powers for themselves. They will come for her."

The fanatics didn't worry Oliver. He'd already let someone take Thea away once; he was **not** going to let that happen again. He could, and would, stop anyone who came for her. The Enchantress, however, was another thing altogether. Fighting the demon inside of Thea's body wasn't something Oliver was confident he could accomplish.

There was a solution to that particular problem that needed to be addressed, though. "You let this thing have her," Oliver pointed out, "so just undo whatever it is you did."

"It cannot be undone. To entrap the Enchantress, within that statue, took the power of a being beyond this world as I have been reliable informed. She can only be controlled, not vanquished."

Oliver's head was spinning. Just a half an hour ago, he was simply happy to have his sister back where she belonged, and now, she was supposedly possessed by an ancient being. It was then that Oliver realized that he was taking one thing for granted that he should not: that Malcolm was telling the truth. He certainly didn't have a reputation for trustworthiness. For all that he knew, Malcolm could have somehow managed to manipulate the video. "Why should I trust anything you say? Why should I trust this video?"

Malcolm's lips twitched slightly. "Let's go see Thea then. You can meet the Enchantress in person."

Oliver didn't trust Malcolm at all, but it wasn't as if he hadn't been to the loft that the Queen siblings shared before. If they got there and nothing happened, then he'd handle Malcolm as he should have on the night of the Undertaking. If he was telling the truth…well, Oliver would deal with that if it came to pass.

* * *

As he unlocked and opened the door to the loft, he heard the telltale sounds of Thea's Christmas music. His eyes landed on her almost instinctively as he walked through the door. She twirled and danced her way around the living room unpacking their many boxes of Christmas decorations. Looking at her as she attempted to make their new home festive, Oliver was hard pressed to believe any of Malcolm's claims. There was no way it was her hands that fired the arrows that killed Sara. This was Thea, the young woman who wanted so badly to be a ballerina when she was growing up. It wasn't possible a witch resided inside of her.

Before either he or Malcolm, who was right behind Oliver, could alert Thea to their presence, she spun around and spotted them. "Ollie!" She exclaimed happily, before shutting off the music. With that, she started to cross the room in their direction. "What do you think? I've been working all day to-" Her smile faded into a confused frown immediately when she finally took notice of their guest. "Dad, what are you doing here? Better yet, what are you two doing together?"

With that single question, Oliver knew he hadn't hidden his dislike of her biological father from her as he had hoped. He had wished to keep Thea from feeling like she had to choose sides when it came to her father and brother. _Just another thing I failed_ , Oliver thought.

Malcolm stepped around Oliver and into the living room as if he owned the place which, unfortunately, in a way he did. With both their trust funds and stocks in the company frozen as a result of Isabel Rochev's take over, the only real money either sibling had was whatever money Malcolm deigned to give his daughter. Just knowing that it was the money of a murderer that was keeping a roof over their heads made Oliver uneasy. The only reason he put up with it was Thea.

He would have been fine sleeping in the Foundry until he found a way to unfreeze his assets or make a decent living, whichever came first, but Thea couldn't live there too. For one thing, she was entirely unaware, or so he hoped at least, of his secret identity. Even if he'd told her his secret, he would never allow her to live in a basement, sleeping on a cot like he had. His Speedy deserved far better. So he ignored his gut, which screamed at him that he shouldn't accept anything Malcolm Merlyn offered, as there was always a catch with the elder man, and buried his pride. Thea needed him to do so.

"He knows, Thea." Malcolm stated coldly, setting the military-grade briefcase down on the couch. Oliver was insanely curious to see what the silver box contained, but he couldn't look away from Thea. As soon as Malcolm spoke, the color drained from her face and she looked almost frantic in response.

"Why?" She turned around to face her father, keeping her back to Oliver. He wasn't quite sure what she hoped to achieve by doing so; he could still hear their conversation just fine.

"Someone has to keep an eye on things. You know how she can get. I can't be around all the time." The locks on his briefcase clicked as he entered his passcode.

"You can't expect him to-"

Malcolm cut her off as he looked up, his eyes were hard and angry as he glared at her. Oliver had to stomp on his instinct to jump in and defend Thea. She could handle herself. "I most certainly can. You were the one who insisted on coming back to this city. You knew there were no preparations here like there were in Corto Maltese and yet, you still begged me to come back. You gave into his puppy dog eyes so now you both have to deal with it." He paused and then asked, as his eyes flickering between brother and sister, "Am I making myself clear?"

Every fiber of Oliver's being protested at being scolded. He was a wayward child no longer and, even if he were, Malcolm had no authority over him. He did have authority over Thea, though, and she responded like her father probably wanted in the first place.

"I understand."

"Oliver needs to meet the Enchantress. Call her." The order had Thea turning to look at Oliver over her shoulder; he could see the distress in her face. Clearly, there was something he didn't know about this witch.

Thea turned back to fully face Oliver and this time, her features were blank. She held her arms out towards him. "Watch closely." She whispered before closing her eyes. "Enchantress…" The whisper was long and drawn out, hanging heavy in the air.

As he watched, another set of arms slid out of the shirt that Thea wore, as though someone else was putting on her clothing while she was still in them. The second set of limbs slid down until the pitch black fingers could interlace with Thea's. For a second, it looked like a horrifying parody of a romantic moment. Then suddenly the dark hands flipped over and Thea was gone.

With only the Enchantress in front of him, Oliver realized, that what he had originally presumed was paint didn't encompass all of her. Instead, the dark color started at her fingertips and faded up her hands to dust her skin. Thea's halter tank-top and black denim pants were replaced with a scandalous all-metal outfit. Yet somehow it was the least eye-catching part of her transformation.

No matter how she moved, the black smoke stayed true to her form. Embers danced among the darkness as the witch twisted a strand of her metal skirt in her hands. Her head tilted in curiosity as she stared him down, the gold of her irises unnerving Oliver. She bridged the distance between them with an elegant gait that spoke of her ancient origins. The closer she came to him the more detail he could see in her altered appearance. Her metallic outfit was incredibly intricate and matched the massive necklace around her throat as well as the half-moon hair ornament in her lengthy raven tresses.

"Who are you?" The Enchantress' voice was melodic and slow, vaguely hypnotic. Someone else might be swayed by her voice, by her energy, but Oliver was immune. To him, this spirit was just an intruder in his Speedy's body. Her blackened fingers reached out for him, and his instincts tried to convince him to back away, but he refused. Oliver Queen never backed down.

Just before her fingers touched his cheek, Malcolm's voice called out for her, breaking whatever spell she was trying to weave. As soon as he spoke her name, the Enchantress' head snapped towards him. "Go get the eyepatch, girl."

There was an anger that infused her being, but within a second, she was gone, her magic transporting her away. Two seconds later, she reappeared as if she'd never left in the first place. Without a word, she held out her hands towards Oliver and opened them slowly.

"That's Slade Wilson's eyepatch from inside his cell on Lian Yu." Malcolm informed him, but the eldest Queen wasn't paying him any mind. His attention focused solely upon the Enchantress, standing soundlessly before him.

"Thank you," he said, reaching out and taking the patch from her hands and slid it into his back pocket. Whether or not it belonged to Slade, they had indeed proved her magical abilities to his satisfaction.

"We'd like Thea back now." Malcolm chimed in and as Oliver watched, he saw the Enchantress' features harden. The Merlyn patriarch was clearly not her favorite person. When she failed to jump to his command, Malcolm took out a sharp knitting needle from inside his suit jacket and began to stab it into the silver case that he'd opened earlier. With every jab he administered, the spirit cried out. "Give us Thea."

In an instant, the spirit had retreated and Thea stood before him. "What happened?" She asked Oliver softly, right before her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to fall. Luckily, Oliver had very quick reflexes and he managed to catch her before she hit the floor. He scooped her up, his right arm coming to rest under her bent knees and his left behind her back. Malcolm picked up his case and quickly set it on the floor while Oliver laid her down on the sofa carefully.

"So now you know," Malcolm said, his voice too loud in the apartment. Oliver ignored him. His fingers moved lightly over Thea's forehead, pushing her hair out of her face. "she needs someone to keep an eye on her."

 _Yes, she does_ , Oliver realized, hating that her father was right. "I'll do it," He glared at Malcolm as he straightened to his full height once more, "because she needs me to. It has nothing to do with you."

Malcolm chuckled in that condescending way of his and bent down to close his case. Oliver's eyes glimpsed the contents of it ever so briefly. It looked like a small, bundle of hay; _is that her heart?_ The locks clicked closed and Malcolm stood up again. "Whatever you need to tell yourself." He looked back at Oliver over his shoulder on his way out of the apartment, "Just don't screw this up, Oliver."

* * *

 **In the next chapter:** Oliver and Thea will discuss the details of Thea's predicament.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: One and the Same  
Author: QueencestQueen  
Pairings: Oliver/Thea (aka Queencest and/or Tholiver)  
Rating: M  
Spoilers: for the episode, "The Climb"  
Summary: _"Why should I trust anything you say? Why should I trust this video?"_

 _Malcolm's lips twitched slightly. "Let's go see Thea then. You can meet the Enchantress in person."_

Notes/Warnings:

\- Bold words are words that are meant to be stressed.  
\- Italicized statements are thoughts.

Disclaimer:  
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Oliver had so many questions and the most honest answers would come from his sister. Unfortunately for him, she was out cold on the couch and he didn't dare try to rouse her. Until she awoke on her own, Oliver was stuck with the mysteries. In the meantime, he began working on the Christmas tree. Thea had handled all the other decorations and she'd even put the tree itself together, but the arduous task of untangling and stringing the lights had been left for him. He was grateful for the mind numbing chore simply because it gave him something to do. At the very least, untangling the complicated mass of wires and bulbs would be easier than finding a solution for all the problems he'd been handed.

On one hand, there was Ra's threat against Starling City: deliver Sara's killer to him or innocents would die. He couldn't allow hapless people to pay a price that should be Malcolm's. He couldn't simply give up the duplicitous man either. Then Ra's would receive that video and come for Thea; the Demon would hear no pleas for mercy if that came to pass. If the League was the only variable in all of this, Oliver would gladly take the blame for Sara's murder and Thea would be safe from retribution, but it wasn't that simple.

She was dealing with something that Oliver couldn't even begin to comprehend. It was obvious that she needed someone to watch her back, someone to help keep her safe. Malcolm himself thought it was so important that he had blackmailed Oliver to guarantee it. If he faced down the Demon, he would die and, while that mattered very little to him when compared to the life of his sister, it meant that he would not be able to be there for her. Who else could be trusted with such a vital task? Her sperm donor of a biological father certainly was not an option; he was the genesis for her troubles.

Failing that, he began to consider those closest to him. The first person to spring to the forefront of his mind was Diggle. The man had shown his ability to keep secrets as well as his loyalty to Oliver and his family throughout their acquaintance. His military experience and service record were positives when one considered the possible outside threats to Thea. However, John had no solid connection to the youngest Queen and Oliver couldn't be one hundred percent positive that if push came to shove that the older man would protect Thea over anything else. No, Oliver needed someone who cared about his sister, someone who would be devastated if harm should befall her.

Under that criteria, Roy was a top candidate. Though she'd called it quits with the younger man before leaving Starling City, Oliver knew Roy still cared for Thea a great deal. As far as Oliver knew, Roy had no greater connections in the city than Thea so there was minimal risk of him choosing someone else's life over hers. Yet, Roy was emotional, brash and angry at times, and between the former couple tempers often flared. _What if they get into a fight and he storms off?_ _She would be unprotected._ Not to mention that, while progressing at an impressive rate, Roy was still in training. It would be unfair to put such a heavy task on him when he wasn't ready.

Then his thoughts turned to the Lances. Despite the vigilante's checkered history with the detective, Oliver trusted that the man would protect Thea. It was, after all, his job to keep the citizens of Starling City safe. If it were just average humans in the mix, Oliver would have truly considered Quentin Lance as an option, but nothing about the situation was average. Not to mention that the father of two was unaware that his youngest was dead and, without that tidbit, it would be impossible to explain why Thea needed protection. Not even Laurel, who was the most informed out of the tattered family, could take this on. This crossed Walter and Felicity off his list as well.

No, the only person capable of successfully keeping Thea safe now was Oliver himself. He was all out of solutions and the problems were just piling up. _Right now, I'm stringing up lights. That's all I'm doing right now_. Life had always been more manageable when he took things a step at a time.

He only had the first set of lights halfway strung up when his attention was snatched away from the job. Thea gasped as though surfacing from water and she was sitting up on the couch with her back facing him. Her head was on a swivel back and forth. He dropped the coded strands without hesitation; the bulbs making a small, but noticeable clattering sound as they impacted the floor. Thea's roaming focus snapped to him instantly.

"Did I fall asleep?"

A soft smile graced his lips as he rounded the arm of the sofa. "Only for a little while."

Thea mumbled under her breath, "He must not have made her do much then."

"What?"

Thea turned her body slightly as she said, "The longer she's left in control of my body, the longer it takes me to wake up. Once, I woke up and it turned out that I'd been out of commission for a whole month."

He tilted his body towards hers in response to her angle adjustment. "Do you know what she does when she's…in charge?"

"No," She reached up and ran a single hand through her short hair, "It's like I lose consciousness as soon as she takes control. After I come to, I get vague impressions of her emotions for a few minutes but then she fades away until I call for her again."

"So you feel her right now?"

"Kind of," Thea said with a small shrug, leaning her right side against the couch as she did so. "Right now, she's…curious. About you I'm guessing." She tilted her head slightly as if trying to analyze what she was getting from the witch possessing her. "You intrigue her. There's something about you that she finds…appealing."

Oliver wasn't sure how to feel about being 'appealing' to an ancient being, but there were more pressing matters to deal with. Like Thea herself. He leaned back, resting his elbow on the back of the couch, as he looked down at her face more closely. There was a pallor and slight shine to her skin that he'd not noticed until he cared to look hard enough. "And you, Thea? How are you?"

"I'm fine…I guess."

"You guess?"

The corners of Thea's lips descended, "It's not so simple a question, Ollie. Everything's more complicated now that I'm not the only one in my body." Green eyes met blue as she explained, "Sometimes it feels as though my skin is stretched too tight over my bones, trying to accommodate both of us." A long-suffering sigh escaped Thea, "I guess you want to know how this happened, huh?"

"That'd be a good start, yeah."

She took a moment, gathering her thoughts and Oliver let the silence stand. "Malcolm summoned me into his office and he handed me this weird statue thing. He told me that I had to open it, but I had this feeling, you know? Somehow I knew that opening it was stupid, but he kept insisting, pushing, telling me that inside was something that would make me better, stronger."

Oliver wanted to object to the idea that Thea wasn't strong enough on her own. She didn't need any mystical powers; she was amazing all by herself. He didn't think that she would appreciate his thoughts right now.

"I wanted so badly to be stronger that I ignored my own instincts and opened the damn thing." It was clear from the look on her face that Thea was angry, but he suspected that it was inappropriately placed upon herself. She should be angry at Malcolm for putting her in this situation instead.

"She was right there all of the sudden: all swirling black mist and intensity. It was the only time that I've ever seen her for myself. The way that she looked at me was so…it was like she could see into my soul and was trying to decide whether I was worthy of her. That's all I remember. The next thing I knew I was waking up on the floor and a few hours had passed."

Before Oliver could think of anything to say to Thea's story, she was jumping up from the couch and heading over to the tree, "Need help stringing up the lights?"

He knew a deliberate topic change when he heard one; Oliver figured it was best to let Thea talk to him in her own time. He made his way over to the tree too and picked up the dropped strings. He suggested, "You hold and I wrap?"

Thea switched places with him, holding the length of wire in her hands, while her brother circled the tree. He placed the strands within it, as close to the trunk as he could manage. For several minutes the duo just worked in tandem, just staying quiet.

"Out with it," Thea said as she screwed in a loose bulb on the string, "I can practically hear your brain buzzing with questions so just ask them."

"Can it be undone?" He made a slow circle around the fake Douglas-fir, "Somebody put that genie in the bottle once so we could put her back, right?"

"Not according to Doctor Moone, no. She's the archaeologist that found the totem in the first place. She works for Malcolm, but she felt guilty because I was possessed so she shared her research with me…what there was of it anyway. Not much is known about what **she** was exactly." She let the wire slack in her grasp as she talked. "As far as Doctor Moone can figure, she's an 'evil entity from another dimension.' There is no removing her."

"But someone trapped her once, didn't they? Surely we have to be able to do that again." If Thea trusted the word of this doctor woman then Oliver trusted her too, but he couldn't help hoping that there was some way. Something that just hadn't been thought of yet.

Thea let out a slow breath, "June couldn't really find anything about where she came from, what she did to get put in the thing in the first place or how she got there. The best that she can deduce though, it must have taken magic and many, many people behind it to put her inside the totem."

"What's in that briefcase of his?" As far as he could see when Malcolm opened it earlier, it had looked like a small bundle of hay. It had to be more than that though.

"It's her heart."

As he finished wrapping the lights around the tree, Thea slid underneath it to flip the switch on the surge protector. The colored bulbs flickered to life within the branches. "Now it really feels like Christmas."

"It does." Thea agreed softly, moving to stand beside her brother. They still had a long way to go decorating the tree, but at least it was a start. "I almost feel normal."

"You **are** normal, Speedy." Oliver objected, turning towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Look, what Malcolm did, convincing you that what was in there was some kind of fix-all, that was wrong. Yes, it's not commonplace to have an evil being in your body, but that doesn't change who you are."

"Doesn't it?" Thea said nothing more than that; she just looked up at him with the most blank look he'd ever seen. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest in response. He'd said once that he never wanted her to lose her pure heart and she hadn't, but harboring the Enchantress was tarnishing it. He'd give anything to trade their places; she didn't deserve the burden that Malcolm had placed on her.

"I'm getting some wine," Thea said after a moment, breaking his hold on her shoulders as she turned toward the kitchen. She took a glass out of the cabinet before heading to the refrigerator and removing a bottle of half empty wine. The bottom of the bottle clinked against glass as the two items were set on the counter. She sat down in the high-backed barstool and poured the wine into her glass immediately.

"Look, Ollie, I don't know what Malcolm said to you before, but I'm not your responsibility." She squared her shoulders, hands closing tighter around the glass that she clutched. "I made the decision to leave Corto Maltese, where there were people to watch over and train me, for Starling City. It was my choice. That does not make me your burden; no matter what he claimed."

For a long moment, he stared at her blankly. "Thea, you've never been a burden to me. You're my sister. While I don't trust Malcolm for a second, even I have to admit he isn't wrong. The witch or God or whatever inside you is valuable to anyone seeking to overthrow the planet. Anyone could come for her at any moment. Even if, by some miracle, no one comes to take her power for themselves, I don't trust **her**."

"What?"

"Look at it from her side of things, she's spent God knows how long imprisoned in an object only to finally be released and forced into doing whatever Malcolm wants her to do. I have no doubt that she's plotting her escape every moment that she can."

Thea froze, her green widening, "I never considered she'd be actively trying to escape. I know that she hates Malcolm with a staggering vehemence. I just never thought beyond that."

Oliver shrugged, "she has to be plotting though, right? I mean, who wouldn't?"

"I'm just another prison for her, a walking, talking prison, but still," Thea leaned upon the back of the high kitchen chair, "I don't know how to feel about that. I've got to assume that she did something truly bad once. Otherwise, why go through all the trouble of locking her away like they did? But I feel guilty for being her living, breathing tomb. Maybe I shouldn't; maybe that guilt should belong to Malcolm, but it's still there."

"Hey," Oliver said, moving to stand behind her chair. He put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly, "You're right. That guilt should belong to Malcolm. You feel it because you're a good person, Speedy. Try not to think about it too much, okay? There's other things to think about..."

"Like how I keep letting liars into my life and then, somehow, being surprised when I end up getting burned?" She took a long drink off the red wine in her glass. It clinked against the surface of the island as she set it down. "Yeah, that's a much better train of thought. Maybe I should just...go live in a cave somewhere, you know? Just me. That way the only person who can lie to me is me."

Thea's words made Oliver's stomach drop. Guilt was like lead weighing down his very soul. He always hated lying to her, but most of the time, years of doing so had dulled it to acceptable levels. Whenever she said things like what she just had, however, his guilt roared to life inside of him like a blazing inferno. Of course, Thea was never talking about him, but somehow that made it worse.

If he let her in on his secret Thea would only want to be a part of it and that was dangerous. There was also a high probability that she would see him as she now saw Malcolm. He didn't want to be just another liar in her life. The longer that he continued to keep his secret, the higher his chances were of alienating his little sister. _I can't lose her; she's too important._

Her safety, however, was paramount. Whatever he felt, be it discomfort or guilt, meant nothing compared to that. She deserved to live a normal, happy, healthy life. Remembering that though was difficult when faced with Thea's sorrow and hurt. Oliver just wanted to fix it for her. It was what big brothers were supposed to do.

"I should have known he had an ulterior motive when he agreed to take me with him. I saw how he was with Tommy. Why would he treat me any differently? I should have known he was just using me. A daughter's no good to him."

"Why you though? That's what I can't figure out. Why not just possess one of his employees? Like that Doctor Moone?"

Thea frowned, "She is much too kind for that. Hosting you-know-who inside her would destroy her." Having objected to the idea so strenuously, a long drawn out sigh escaped her, "I've given 'why' a lot of thought since being told what happened. I've come to one conclusion: he can control me."

An objection was on the tip of his tongue, but it turned to ash as she continued to talk.

"If he'd put her into someone who worked for him, they would probably quit on the spot and he'd have to hire people to watch them. I, on the other hand, will always be his daughter. Even if I cut him out of my life, he'd always be there, hovering on the edge. No matter what I do, I'll always be connected to him. There's no escape for me." There's nothing that Oliver could say to that. He wanted to tell her that she wasn't trapped as she believe, but he couldn't. What Thea had said was the unfortunate truth.

For a few minutes, they were both silent; Thea taking long sips of her wine and Oliver watching helplessly, unable to make things easier for her even though he wanted to. He could see that she was about to spiral down into some dark emotions. He had to distract her in any way possible.

"Come on," he reached for her unoccupied hand, "I've got something I need to show you."

"Now?" She held the wine glass aloft, "I'm drinking."

"Yes now." He took the glass from her and set it on the island, "you can continue drinking later."

Thea feigned a sigh, but she stood anyway, still holding onto Oliver's hand all the while, and let him lead her from their apartment.

* * *

The roar of his motorcycle died down as they pulled up to the darkened club. He waited for Thea to unwrap her arms from around his waist and climb off before he disembarked as well.

"Verdant? I hate to break it to you, but I've already seen it." There was a small smirk playing on her lips as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Not that," Oliver said with a slight laugh, "Just come with me."

He led their way through the empty former warehouse, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Oliver feared that if he caught sight of her, he'd lose his nerve and that couldn't happen. It was time that he shared this with her.

"Where are we going?"

"The basement."

"I... thought that you said that it was flooded." Oliver punched in the code that would allow him to open the heavy metal door.

His voice was flat as he replied, "I lied."

"Ollie, what's going on?" Thea's heels clicked with every step that she took down the metal staircase. Oliver took solace in the fact that, despite his admission that he'd once again lied to her, his sister was still following him. "You're kind of- kind of making me nervous."

Oliver didn't say anything to ease her nervousness. He made his way over to the electrical box and put his hand under the lever. After taking a second to gather his courage, he pushed the heavy switch upwards until it clicked and the lights in the basement came to life.

He watched from behind as Thea took in the enormity of his deception. She took careful steps into the room and Oliver wished that he could see her face to gauge her reaction. He wanted desperately to know what she was thinking, what she was feeling. _Will this be the final nail in our relationship?_

"I know that this isn't going to mean much. I've given you no reason to believe me when I say it," His voice was raw and thick with truly terrifying emotions as he watched her, "but I lied, all of this time, to protect you."

He squared his shoulders and steeled his spine in preparation for her anger and rejection. Even though it would kill him to see betrayal written on her face yet again, Oliver knew he would bear it. He deserved every negative thing that she would unleash upon him.

Thea's steps continued to be slow and measured as she looked around at all the weaponry and technology that the foundry contained. As soon as her eyes landed upon the glass case that contained his green leather suit, she came to a stop in front of it.

"You're... You're him."

It was not a question.

"Yeah." Unable to stand still anymore, the eldest Queen kept his eyes on her as he walked forward. The silent seconds that followed his admission filled him with a whirlwind of worrisome thoughts. _What is she thinking? What's she feeling?_ He was terrified to know, but at the same time, he needed to know.

When she finally did give her thoughts voice, they were fragmented, "That night with the-the hoods, and... that woman in black, that..." He stood several feet behind her, folding his arms behind his back to keep himself from doing something stupid, like reaching out for her.

"Was Ra's al Ghul's daughter."

"That was you." It was her voice that provided him the most information; her words were soft, but wobbly, like she were torn between sorrow and fury.

As he watched her reflection in the glass case, Oliver felt like his heart was going to shatter in his chest. Her expression gave away nothing of her thoughts. "All those times I got so mad at you," he dropped his eyes for a few seconds, needing to once again gather himself, certain that her rage was soon to rain down upon him. "for being...a flake, or telling me something I knew that had to be a lie."

She finally turned away from the case to look at him. Now that he could see her face with his own eyes, Oliver saw that she was emotionally raw. He wanted to believe that it was a good sign, but hope was the most dangerous emotion; he couldn't allow himself to feel it.

"You were saving someone's life," She took deliberate steps in his direction and it took everything he had within him to stay still. No matter what intentions she had, he was determined to take it. He deserved whatever she dished out. He had betrayed her, lied to her for years. She had every right to be furious with him.

Her next words shocked him, surprise making him raise his blue eyes to her green. "Thank you." In a single heartbeat, she bridged the remaining distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. Mystified by her reaction, Oliver instinctively wrapped his own arms around her back. She kept whispering, "Thank you, Ollie. Thank you."

A genuine smile molded to his lips, unshed tears glittered in his eyes, as he hugged her tighter to himself. He had never been more relieved or grateful in his life. Nothing in the world compared to knowing that Oliver told the truth and he still had his beloved sister by his side.

For a few moments, the two remaining Queens stayed silent. They held each other and just breathed. Oliver was acutely aware, though, that there was still more that he had to tell her. He needed her to understand that she wasn't alone. She never would be, not as long as there was breath in his lungs.

"You aren't the only one of us with darkness in them, Speedy," Oliver whispered into her hair, "at least yours doesn't belong to you." He tightened his arms around her. "I have so much blood on my hands, and there's nothing I can do to ever wash that away."

"Ollie," she muttered into his shoulder. It was clear after a few heartbeats that Thea didn't have an end to that sentence.

"I didn't ever want that for you."

Thea froze in his hold, undoubtedly picking up on his use of past tense, " _Didn't_ want that?"

 _In for a penny…_

"No one blames you, Thea. You weren't in control of yourself at the time."

She stepped back, his arms dropping uselessly to his sides. His fingers curled into his palms, angry that he could do nothing to help her. Her face was blank, but Oliver could still see pain etched behind her eyes. "What- what are you saying?"

"Thea, the Enchantress killed Sara."

" **I** killed Sara?" Thea's voice was as weak as he'd ever heard it. The instant that the words left her mouth, her face lost color and Thea scrambled backwards as if she could escape the knowledge by moving. Unconsciously, she shook her head slowly back and forth muttering, "No, no, no," over and over.

His desire to comfort her was almost undeniable; yet, he held himself still, knowing his touch would not be welcomed. "Thea, it wasn't you. It was her. It was Malcolm's will, not yours, not even hers. You aren't to blame for this."

A hysterical laugh tore from her throat as she raised her wild eyes to his own, "Oh no? It was my hands that ended her life. My face that she saw." Her hands fluttered up to her neck. "She must have felt so betrayed."

Unable to stand by and let Thea suffer alone, Oliver bridged the distance between them. As he tried to wrap his arms around her shoulders, she fought him. Tears of anger, desperation, and soul-scorching sorrow streaked her cheeks in rivulets.

"No. No. Don't touch me. Don't." She was screaming her pleas now, but Oliver ignored her. He wasn't about to leave her unmoored as her emotions swallowed her whole.

"I'm right here. I'm right here, Thea." He crushed her to his chest, his arms wrapped around the back of her shoulders to keep her from fleeing. She tried to break his hold as she continued to sob, but he didn't give her the slightest leeway.

"Let me go."

"No."

"Let me go!"

"No!"

Oliver felt her shuddering breath, her body heaving with sobs against his own, "I ruin everything, Ollie. I am poison. I'm dangerous. I don't want to destroy you too."

"You aren't. Speedy, listen to me," Oliver leaned his head back slightly to look down at her; she didn't look up at him in return. "She did this. Malcolm ordered her to do it. You had no part in it."

Thea put her hands on his chest suddenly and pushed him away. She turned her back on him, her shoulders shaking as her tears continued to fall. "I let her in. I did that. If I hadn't been so damn stupid Sara would still be alive!"

"Malcolm would have found another way to possess you in the long run." Oliver objected, "You know that. This isn't on you. Sara's death belongs on Malcolm's shoulders alone."

After a few seconds, Thea asked in barely a ghost of a whisper, "How do you know it was me?"

"Malcolm sent me a video of it today." Oliver removed his phone from the pocket of his jacket. He pulled up his text thread with Malcolm and fitted the video to his screen before he passed the device to her.

They both fell silent as Thea pressed play.

"Why did he send you this?"

"As insurance. I was furious that he put you in harm's way. To protect himself from my wrath, he sent the video. He said that if anything happens to him, the League of Assassins will receive that video and that's a risk I can't take."

Yet again, the siblings lapsed into silence. _Thea deserves so much better than what her life has become._

"So give me to them."

"Absolutely not." His response was immediate and steadfast. The mere idea was abhorrent to Oliver and the fact that Thea would even suggest such an action proved to him that she wasn't in her right mind. "You're upset; you're not thinking clearly."

"You're the one not thinking clearly," Thea objected, turning swiftly on her heel to face him. The expression on her face was one of determination. "This would solve everyone's problems. Think about it for a minute. The League would get their blood. Sara would get her justice. With me dead, you-know-who would have nowhere to go so she couldn't hurt anyone else."

A small, vengeful smile plastered to her lips, "Malcolm wouldn't have his precious weapon anymore."

"I don't care."

"Oliver," Thea countered, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"No, Thea. I don't care what it would solve. Your death is never a solution for me." He shook his head and bridged the small distance between them. "Do you remember that conversation we had a few years ago, after Quentin arrested me for being the Vigilante? Do you remember what you said to me then?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she searched her memory for the conversation in question. He could see the instant that Thea recalled her own words. She echoed the sentiment in a soft voice, "I can't lose you again."

"Exactly and that is true for me too," he rested his hands on her shoulders gently, wanting to keep Thea from running off to act recklessly, "I lost you once when Malcolm whisked you away. I can't lose you again, Speedy. I just can't. You are all I have. You can't give up on me, Thea."

Thea peered up at him and for a terrible moment was silent. Then, "Alright, Ollie."

"Alright?"

"Yes, alright. We'll think of something else."

After that the two of them stayed in the basement and talked about everything late into the night. While they didn't come up with any solutions, at least Oliver felt secure in the knowledge that Thea wasn't about to run off on some misguided suicide mission. It was enough, for now. By the time that they returned to the loft, Oliver and Thea were both emotionally and physically exhausted. Their only plans were going to bed, but as soon as Oliver opened the door, he knew that they weren't going to be sleeping anytime soon.

Standing in their living room, looking as arrogant as ever, was Amanda Waller and she had the handle of Malcolm's silver case in her right hand. "Mister Queen, Miss Queen," a knowing smirk played on her lips as Oliver shoved Thea behind him instinctively, "welcome home."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ In the next chapter, Oliver and Thea will discover what it is that Amanda Waller wants. Thanks for reading  & please take the time to review if you enjoyed this chapter.


End file.
